


Your Past is Just a Story

by CatsProbably



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Angst, Bristlefrost becomes her best self, Characters from TBC book 3, F/F, F/M, Ivypool wants answers, Jayfeather and Lionblaze try not to beat up Ashpaw, M/M, Multi, Rootspring just wants one day where he doesnt see a dead person, Some weird time stuff happens, Time Travel AU, Truama, answers, canon characters go off-canon plot, inspired by firealder2005, like all of my works, unedited, we die like goblins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:09:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27435610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatsProbably/pseuds/CatsProbably
Summary: The imposter is causing havoc on the Clans, who are struggling to decide what the right thing to do is. Through every prophecy, there has never been a disaster like this. When StarClan finally breaks their silence, their actions leave seven cats confused and stuck, struggling to find answers in their past that could save their future.A time-travel AU where Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Dovewing, Ivypool, Rootspring, Shadowsight and Bristlefrost get sent to the beginning of Tigerstar's reign to figure out how to fix the Imposter situation.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Your Past is Just a Story

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Vision of A Rising Storm Along A Dangerous Path](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26325247) by [FireAlder2005](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireAlder2005/pseuds/FireAlder2005). 



> I've been reading FireAlder2005's fic "A Vision of A Rising Storm Along A Dangerous Path", and I'm very aware of the two works that I currently have going, but I swear I'm not abandoning them! This has just been stealing all of my attention.
> 
> So lets see how long this lasts! Updates will come sporadically, and hopefully we can get through this! I hope everyone enjoys it! (: Let me know what you're hoping to see? I've got a number of ideas planned for this so far! and go check out FireAlder2005's work!!!!

**Prologue**

The exhaustion that pulled at Shadowsight's bones was unparalleled. Granted, a brush with death expected some level of tired, and the energy demanded in order to seek out Rootspring as a spirit was extensively draining. He surely didn't have the energy, then, for one of his visions. StarClan must know how dire his situation was right now, and yet, despite all of this, he could recognize the signs of a rough episode. His mother was curled around him, lending him her warmth, and he tries to focus on what was going on around him, in a desperate attempt to stave off the dreaded vision.

Jayfeather and Lionblaize were huddled close by, their heads bent together as they conversed between themselves in quiet murmurs. Rootspring sat close enough to Shadowsight that the medicine cat apprentice could feel his breath stirring the fur on his tail. Bristlefrost stood a bit father away, watching their small group with an unreadable expression. She hesitated, clearly uncertain of her welcome, but when Rootspring glances over at her, she draws closer, settling down a few tail lengths away.

Slowly, Shadowsight begins to relax as the threat of an episode ebbs away. He's just lowering his head to rest when the bushes opposite to them shiver, and Ivypool's lithe body pushes through the ferns. Her blue eyes widen in surprise as they sweep the clusters of rebels and "codebreakers", before they stop at Dovewing and Bristlefrost. Fur spiking a bit, the ThunderClan warrior bounds over, tail tip flicking.

"What in the name of StarClan are you doing here?" she gasps, brushing against her daughter before she turns to address her sister. Her eyes flick over Shadowsight. "You found him!"

Dovewing lifts her eyes, her expression hard. "No thanks to Bramblestar," she growls.

A shiver runs through Shadowsight, and he gives a soft groan, dropping his head into his temporary nest and closing his eyes against the sunlight, which was too bright all of a sudden.

"What do you mean?"

"He tried to kill him."

"No!"

"Please stop," Shadowsight whimpers, causing Rootspring to lean closer with alarm. Jayfeather's ear flicks, and he gets to his feet, coming over to check on the ShadowClan cat, Lionblaize hard on his paws. Dovewing and Ivypool don't give any indication of hearing him, caught up as they were in their interaction.

"If you can't see that Bramblestar isn't himself, then you've got bees for brains!" Dovewing's bitter mew rang through his ears, echoing painfully in his head.

"Of course I've noticed," Ivypool retorts, as Shadowsight feel's Jayfeather press his nose against his pounding head. "But to attack a medicine cat...?"

"It isn't Bramblestar," Dovewing insists. "His body has been taken over by an impostor."

"An impostor?"

The world tilts.

"We don't know how to go forward, or what to do about this - it's never happened before-"

The voices around him swell before they drop away abruptly, leaving the exhausted medicine cat alone in a cavern of darkness. He doesn't have the chance to feel a lick of fear, because as quickly as the silence comes, Shadowsight is drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

"... _before you... will of StarClan_ -..."

Slowly, the world seems to come back into focus, voices reaching her from a distance away.

" _...noble warrior... did not have the strength... deputy, Cinderfur, died too."_

Bristlefrost's feels like she's been dragged over the mountains and back by her tail, and she swallows a hiss as she moves her head. The movement alone causes her so much pain, but she pushes through it.

_What happened...?_

Her eyes blink open, the treetops blurry above her for a solid minute before clearing up. She gives a few blinks, struggling to think past the buzzing in her head. Where was she? Hadn't she been in the rebel camp moments before...?

"- _brought me to ShadowClan when its need was greatest. Not enough cats survived..."_

Bristlefrost pricks her ears, chasing the sound of a cats mew. The ThunderClan warrior manages to lift her head to survey the area. Though she doesn't recognize the part of the forest she lay in, she's relieved to see that she wasn't alone. Shadowsight and Rootspring were curled together close by, and Dovewing, Ivypool, Jayfeather and Lionblaize lay in a huddle a bit further away. However, she doesn't let herself relax. She can still hear the sound of other cats close by, and the others don't show any signs of waking up anytime soon. She had to make sure they were safe.

It was the least she could do, to make up for the way she had harmed her clanmates.

Forcing herself to ignore the pain of her stiff body, she drags herself to a wall of ferns, the sound of voices getting closer. With one last puff, she manages to push through the foliage, the words exploding with clarity.

"Thanks to StarClan, I had other cats to bring with me who have proven themselves willing to hunt and fight for their new Clan."

Bristlefrost's eyes widen when she gets a good look at the scene before her. It... looked like a gathering, and there was clearly talk of StarClan. But she doesn't recognize any of the cats gathered, their fur prickling with disbelief and tension. They were all gathered around a large rock, sitting in the middle of a clearing that was surrounded by four large oak trees. Four cats stood atop the tall rock: a skinny black and white tom, his long tail flicking with anger, a huge light-tabby, his twisted jaw jarring, a broad-shouldered tabby tom, his resemblance to Dovewing's mate striking, and a young-looking ginger tom, his fur the color of flame. Despite how impossible the thought was, Brisltlefrost feels her fur start to fluff, unease trickling through her body.

"Brokentail's allies were cruel and bloodthirsty, just as he was. Is it really wise to let them back into the Clan?" The black and white tom speaks up, clearly in disbelief of whatever the other tom was trying to convince them of. 

_Brokentail_. Bristlefrost recalls the name, familiar with the stories that her mother had told her when her and her siblings were still in the nursery. Her experience spying in the Dark Forest, training under Hawkfrost and Brokenstar and-

_Tigerstar!_

Her gaze snaps back to the tom, and she was unwilling to accept it. That was impossible! But he looked so much like Dovewing's Tigerstar, the resemblance impossible to ignore. Her gaze wanders to the ginger tom, whose expression was unreadable as he listened, green eyes narrowed. If this was Tigerstar, was that... Firestar?

But that was impossible! She must have eaten some tough piece of freshkill before falling asleep, because this couldn't be anything more than a weird dream.

"Brokentail's warriors obeyed him. Which of you wouldn't do the same for your own leader? The warrior code says that a leader's word is law. These cats were loyal to Brokentail. they will be loyal to me now. Blackfoot, who was Brokentail's deputy, is my deputy now. Tallstar, you are right to hate Brokentail. He did great harm to your Clan. But let me remind you that it was not my decision to take him into ThunderClan and care for him. I spoke against that from the first, but when Bluestar insisted on giving him sanctuary, loyalty to my leader meant that I had to support her." 

Tallstar was obviously still unconvinced, the situation under his skin, but he bows his head anyway, relenting. "That's true."

"Then all I ask is that you trust me, and give my warriors a chance to show that they can honor the warrior code, and prove their loyalty to ShadowClan once more. with the help of StarClan, my first task is to make ShadowClan well and strong again."

Bristlefrost jumps out of her fur when she feels someone crawl up beside her. Jerking her gaze away, she calms down, relieved to see her mother. But that relief doesn't last long, as she gets a look at Ivypool's expression. The she-cat looks like she's seeing a ghost, her eyes fixed on the tabby tom. With another jolt, Jayfeather pulls himself to her other side. Bristlefrost's fur prickles with awkwardness: she's never sure how to act around the strict medicine cat, and having him so close to her only multiplied that. To make matters worse, the more of her friends that woke up and joined her, the less convinced she was that this was a dream.

That thought was solidified when Jayfeather spoke, his blind gaze horrified.

"StarClan, what have you done this time?"


End file.
